Girl group NewJeans has significantly increased its legal representation in preparation for the upcoming second hearing in their lawsuit against ADOR to validate their exclusive contract. As per legal sources on May 21st KST, NewJeans submitted a revised attorney designation form to the Seoul Eastern District Court on May 9th. The group is now represented by the prominent law firm Shin & Kim, and the legal team has expanded to include a total of 13 lawyers. Some of these lawyers had previously worked with the former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.

On the other hand, ADOR has enlisted the services of 12 lawyers from Korea's largest firm, Kim & Chang, demonstrating the strategic preparedness and gravity of the legal dispute from both sides. Although the number of lawyers does not determine the outcome, the involvement of more attorneys compared to the members of NewJeans emphasizes the significance of the case symbolically.

Ahead of the first hearing on April 3rd, NewJeans had also augmented their legal representation. During that hearing, the central issue was whether the trust between the parties had irreparably broken down. ADOR had hinted at the possibility of a settlement, but NewJeans firmly declined the proposal, indicating their strong position. The group did not attend the first hearing in person, and their participation in the second hearing is yet to be confirmed.

NewJeans' operations have been suspended following a court injunction in March, which granted ADOR's request to halt the termination of the contract, thereby limiting the group's independent activities.

However, member Danielle drew attention on May 19th after a now-deleted Instagram post suggested a potential collaboration with U.S. R&B duo Emotional Oranges. The prompt removal of the post is seen as a precautionary measure to avoid legal complications amid the ongoing dispute.

The second hearing in the legal battle between NewJeans and ADOR over the contract is slated for June 5th.